As one embodiment of the image forming apparatus, there is conventionally known a recording apparatus provided with a guide rail (i.e., a member for holding a sliding member), a carriage (i.e., the sliding member) that can freely slide along the guide rail in the axial direction thereof, and a printing head (i.e., a recording member) that is mounted on the carriage and driven to transfer ink from an ink ribbon to a recording medium, thereby accomplishing the recording operation (for example, as in JP (Hei) 06-143775 A).
In such an image forming apparatus, a ribbon cassette having therein both the ink ribbon and a greases retention member is usually attached to the carriage. Owing to the grease retention member, a grease is applied to the outer surface of the guide rail as the carriage is driven to slide along the guide rail, thereby reducing friction of the sliding carriage against the guide rail.
In practice, however, further decrease of the friction has been required from the viewpoints of saving resources and energy.
The carriage or the guide rail is typically made of resins with low friction resistance. However, those resins may be caused to deteriorate by prolonged contact with the grease that is less compatible with the resins. In light of this, the above-mentioned resins are also required to have improved durability.